The Office of Learning Services Accommodates Students

With 80% of classes offered remotely this semester,  the Office of Learning Services is still available for Millersville University students who need accommodations.

Learning Services offers accommodations to students with disabilities to allow them to fully participate in courses. The services  include assistive technology, sign-language interpreters, notetakers, testing, coaching and more.

In order to help students with online courses, Learning Services offers specific programs to help in the digital environment. One of the services  is remote captioning for students who would typically read lips during on-campus classes. The office has continued to provide sign-language interpreting, extended time and test proctoring through Zoom.

Additionally, every student who is registered with the Office of Learning Services receives a Kurzweil 3000 account. This allows them to upload texts, PDF documents and classroom assignments and the program will read the documents aloud to students. This program can be helpful for students who struggle with print disabilities. Kurzweil 3000 can also translate assignments and documents into different languages for students who are non-English speaking.

Students seeking accommodations for disabilities can request services by completing a special assistance request form and submitting official documentation of the disability with either a psychological evaluation or an evaluation report, to the Office of Learning Services.

Dr. Sherlynn Bessick is the director and has been a part of the Office of Learning Services for 19 years. “We encourage students to contact our office so that we may determine additional ways to help them. Our office continues to provide online screenings for learning disabilities and ADHD.”

MU students with disabilities additionally have access to individual coaching services through the Office of Learning Services. The services include, but are not limited to social skills training, time management, organizational skills, note-taking skills, critical thinking, study skills and progress monitoring.

In addition to individual services, Learning Services also offers online workshops that focus on helping students with academic skills. These  workshops are available for all MU students. The current online workshops that are available are notetaking skills, study skills, time management and organizational skills. Each workshop offers videos and handouts for students to utilize on their own.

“The Office of Learning Services is here to ensure that students with disabilities have the necessary tools to help them find success at Millersville University. With accommodations and services, students registered with Learning Services remain competitive with other MU students in terms of graduation rates, GPA performance and overall success at Millersville University,” says Bessick.

Students who are interested in the programs offered by the Office of Learning Services can learn more by visiting https://www.millersville.edu/learningservices/.